This invention relates to vehicle operating systems and more particularly to a system for requesting drivers to dim or turn on their vehicle's headlights.
Glare from bright headlight beams is irritating, can affect vehicle safety, and produces driver stress. Another problem is that some drivers fail to turn on their vehicle's headlights.
Vehicle headlights have two operating modes, namely, a low beam mode which is intended to be used during normal driving conditions and a high beam mode which is intended to be used only momentarily and with discretion during special driving conditions, by way of example, when approaching curves at high speeds on highways. The bright light headlight problem arises because drivers intentionally or inadvertently fail to turn off their vehicle's bright high headlight beams. The severity of the problem has increased because manufacturers have increased the maximum illumination of headlights.
Vehicle manufacturers have attempted to solve the headlight glare problem with "day and night" rear view mirrors. Although the day/night mirrors are somewhat effective for reducing glare, they are not an acceptable solution because they reduce rear vision and are ineffective for eliminating glare from reflections off of side view mirrors on the exteriors of vehicles. Manufacturers have also made available as accessories automatic headlight dimmers which dim headlights in the presence of other lights. This also is not an acceptable solution because they are expensive and ineffective for dimming headlights of vehicles travelling behind a vehicle.
A failure to turn on headlights can result in a head-on collision or the forcing of other vehicles off the road, especially on highways, in dark winding residential neighborhoods, and during fog, dust storms, rain and snow. Some drivers attempt to request drivers of oncoming vehicles to dim their vehicle's headlights by flashing headlights "on" and "off". This also is unacceptable because the flashing headlights often detract and irritate other drivers.
In view of the above, it is apparent that an effective signalling system for requesting drivers to dim or turn on their headlights is needed and would provide benefits heretofore unavailable.